While people visiting the formal Peony Garden at the Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, Michigan are asked to visit the garden in 2021 (due to possible overcrowding during the COVID-19 outbreak), the tree peonies can be enjoyed now at the arboretum.
Along with the gorgeous rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom, the pinks, whites, and deep reds of the tree peonies take your breath away with their showy beauty.
A cooler spring morning with bright sunshine made for a perfect time to stroll the Laurel Ridge Trail to see the beautiful flowers.
I wrote about tree peonies in 2018 when Nichols Arboretum began more extensive plantings of Japanese, Chinese, and European-American tree peonies in the arboretum.
Two years later, the tree peonies have filled in the terraced area next to Laurel Ridge Trail.
Tree peonies are hardy woody shrubs that grow as wide as they are tall.
Their flowers are more dramatic than herbaceous peonies, and are often fragrant. This pink tree peony was one of my favorites!
To see the tree peonies in bloom, visit Nichols Arboretum two to three weeks before the herbaceous peonies bloom.
Look for the showy blooms south of the formal Peony Garden and north of the rhododendrons on the Laurel Ridge Trail.
